The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-02-03

LIS udOlIuol plafC!y' Oho N''J
ordered to take three men of his troop
and accompany an officer OF engineers,
who had been directed to make sketches
of part of the country through which
the army was to pass. The party went
far to the front and the officers sketches
were just about completed when, around
a bend in the road, only few hundred
yards in front, came body of French
cavalry. 1t was clear that there was but
little chance of escape. Without mo.
ment's hesitation, Winthrop asked the
officer of engineers whether he had I'm
ished his drawings, and, upon being told
that he had, said 10 him: "Jnmp on
your horse and ride of. will attend to
these people," The engineer remon-
strated, but Winthrop insisted that the
first consideration was to give the army
the information that was needed. The
precious moments were passing swiftly,
and the French column drew nearer aud
more near. Finally, the officer of engin-
eers yaulted on his horses back and went
to the resr in desperate hsdn> Settling
himself in his saddle, Winthrop drew his
sabre, and forming his three men with
himself across the-.road, gave the order
to charge. Instantly rang out the French
bugles in reply, aud a squadron, or more,
came forward to meet the devoted men.
They had not far to ride before the four
met the hundreds"
At. this point Forbes stopped, aud !,
who had been listening TO him with
breathless interest, said, "What then?"
"There is nothing more to tell" re-.
piled Forbes, that was the end"
So died, in the strict line of military
duty, as brave man as ever trod the
earth, whether in England or on this
Continent.
There was another Englishman with US
in Virginia who was widely different
from Winthrop in most essential
respect This man came to the South in
1868, I think, and represented himself ss
being Capt. Charles Casendish of the
11th Hussars, and cousin of the Duke
of Devonshire. Upon the strength of
the letters which he brought he was
assigned to duty with Major Gen. Fitz
Hugh Lee. When he rode up to report,
cavalry engagement was in progress
Cavendish was we'll mounted, his uni
form was entirely new, and his saddle
and bride, and the trappings of his
horse, we're conspicuous by their fresh
ness and tasteful workmanship. One of
our regiments was just about to advance,
aud Cavendish asked Gen. Lees permits
sion to accompany it. The permission
was cheeriully accorded, and the new
arrival rode off with the regiment. Ten
minutes afterwards Cavendish returned.
What change had taken place. Cav
eudish's uniform was covered with dust.
His cap was gone, and on his arm were
his saddle and bride. When asked how
it was that all this had happened, Cav
endish bluntly aaid: "a blarDted fellah
in blue coat shot at me from behind q
tree and killed my chawger." Further
questioning developed the fact that Cav
endish had gotten even with the
ssblarsted feIlah," who had taken, as he
thought, mean advantage of him.
Cavendish was q thorough soldier in
appearance, and was evidently familiar
with the details of cavalry tactics. 1t
cannot be said that be was good.lookipg,
but be had striking face, and, in his
dealings with his fellow officers, he was
uniformly considerate and punctillous.
Any little peculiarly of manner was
attributed to his English birth and train
ing. One day there was a rather warm
discussion as to the manner in which
English gentlemen were in the habit of
dressing, and Cavendish asserted very
positively that no Englishman ever
thought of wearing any sort of garment
between his trousers and his skin. What
he preached he certainly practiced, as
was painfully evident when he happened
to tear his trousers in riding through the
woods. In many little things, be was
rather queer, but he was always alert and
ready for duty, and in fight was as true
aud as keen as the blade he welded 30
dexterously.
Cavendish left US in the fall of 1864,
and went to Richmond, where he
remained for some time, and then re.
turned to England. Then the trouble
began. Cavendish had lived quite freely
in the Confederacy, and it now appeared
that he had raised money by making
drafts on his aristocratic relatives in
England, which drafts were freely dis
counted. BY return mail the drafts came
back protested" and the kind friends OF
Cavendish were informed to their mortif-
cation that the Duke of DeVonshire
knew nothing of such person. A year
or two afterwards one of the victims was
in London and saw Cayendish at dis.
tauce. Tracing him up, he ascertained
that his real name was Short, and that
he had been a corporal or sergeant in 9
crack cavalry regiment. This explained
the many little contradictions in his con.
duct. Swindler as he was, Cavendish
was gallant soldier, and certainly did
not plunder any of his comrades on the
staff. Probably his expectation was tc
make name aad reputation for himself
and he would have accomplished this il
lie had been able to resist the tempta
tion to indulge in costly excesses.
A fur more amusing character, and o.
widely different type, was Frank Viz
! otolIr tho ort;st of the Illustrated London